Dispenser for stacked dishes



Jan. 7 W58 v. L. GINTHER DISPENSER FOR STACKED DISHES Filed April 9, 1956 INVEIYTOR. 6, 6/014? United States Patent DISPENSER FOR STACKED DISHES Virgil L. Ginther, Sturgis, Mich., assignor to Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Application April 9, 1956, Serial No. 576,864

4 Claims. (Cl. 221-46) This invention relates to a dispenser for stacked dishes which permits the upper dish of a stack being readily grasped and removed from the stack.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a dispenser for dishes which effectively supports them in a stack and permits the withdrawal of the dishes one by one from the upper end of the stack, the upper dish of the stack always being in position to be externally grasped.

Second, to provide a dispensing device in which the height of the device decreases as the dishes are successively removed therefrom and the dishes being successively presented in the same relation for removal.

Third, to provide a dispensing device having these ad vantages which can be quickly and easily loaded.

Fourth, to provide a dispensing device having these ad vantages which is very simple and economical in structure.

Further objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is described in the claims. A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View showing a partially loaded dispenser embodying my invention, a support being shown in vertical section and the manner of grasping the dish for removal thereof being indicated.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view with the base mem ber and a support therefor shown in vertical section, the holder being illustrated in position to receive a stack of dishes.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the base member partially broken away.

Fig. 4 is a plan view corresponding to that of Fig. 3 showing an adaptation of my dispenser to a generally rectangular form of dish.

In the accompanying drawing 1 represents a table or other support which is provided with three uniformly spaced holes 2. The holder base plate 3 having an upwardly tapered block 4 mounted centrally thereon is provided with vertical bores 5 spaced to be aligned with the holes 2 in the support as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The uprights 6, desirably formed of wire or light rod, are vertically reciprocable through the holes 5 and 2, the lower ends of the uprights being innwardly olfset at 7 so that when the uprights ac lifted to the loading position shown in Fig. 2, they bindingly or grippingly engage the walls of the holes 5 to support the uprights in their raised position.

The uprights are connected by the annular cross member 8 which is spaced downwardly from the upper ends of the uprights. The uprights have inwardly inclined portions 9 at their upper ends adapted to rest on the upper of an inverted stack of dishes ll) arranged within the dispenser. Desirably the block t is shaped and proportioned to substantially fit within the lower dish of the stack thereby preventing lateral shifting movement of the stack. This together with the fact that the in- 2,818,99b Patented Jan. 7, i958 "ice turned ends 9 supportedly engage the upper dish of the stack supports the stack in upright position with the upper dish in position to be grasped as is indicated in Fig. 2.

The uprights, being free to reciprocate through the holes 2 and 5 and being supportingly engaged with the upper dish of the stack, automatically lower as the dishes are successively removed so that a dish is always presented for grasping and at the same time is el'fectivcly supported until manually lifted from the top of the stack.

The uprights 6 are desirably spaced so that a stack of dishes may be passed between them to facilitate loading.

in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 the dishes ii are of general rectangular shape having fluted corner portions 12. In this embodiment there are four uprights 13 and the crosspiece 15 is generally rectangular as is shown in Fig. 4. Otherwise the dispenser is substantially as described.

Dispensers embodying my invention are desirable for use in a wide variety of relations but are particularly desirable where the handling of large quantities of dishes is required. The device is sanitary from the standpoint that the dishes may be externally grasped and there is no occasion for the operator to contact any inner por tion thereof or even the edges of the rims.

The automatic lowering of the dispenser uprights as the dishes are removed not only successively positions the dishes for grasping but there are no projecting parts to interfere with the rasping.

I have not illustrated other embodiments or adaptations of my invention as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired for particular shapes or types of dishes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A dispenser for stacked paper dishes having yieldable walls including a support member having a plurality of spaced holes therethrough, a holder comprising a base plate adapted to be positioned on said support member and having a plurality of holes therethrough aligned with the holes in said support member, said base plate having a positioning block adapted to be received within the lowermost of an inverted stack of dishes, laterally spaced uprights vertically reciprocable in said holes in said base plate and said support and acting to laterally hold said base plate on said support, an annular connecting member for said uprights disposed in downwardly spaced relation to their upper ends, said uprights having in turned upper ends spaced to overhang wall portions of the stack of dishes arranged within the holder and to supportedly engage the upper of a stack of dishes while permitting withdrawal thereof between said inturned ends, the lower ends of the uprights being angled to frictionally engage within the holes in the base plate, said uprights being laterally spaced to permit the insertion of a stack of dishes into the holder when presented laterally thereto.

2. A dispenser for stacked paper dishes having yieldable walls including a support member having a plurality of spaced holes therethrough, a holder comprising a base plate adapted to be positioned on said support member and having a plurality of holes therethrough aligned with the holes in said support member, laterally spaced uprights vertically reciprocable in said holes in said base plate and said support and acting to laterally hold said base plate on said support, an annular connecting member for said uprights disposed in downwardly spaced re lation to their upper ends, said uprights having inturned upper ends spaced to overhang wall portions of the stack of dishes arranged within the holder and to supportedly engage the upper of a stack of dishes while permitting withdrawal thereof between said inturned ends.

3. A dispenser for stacked paper dishes having yieldable Walls including a support member having a plurality of spaced holes therethrough, a holder comprising a base plate adapted to be positioned on said support member and having a plurality of holes therethrough aligned with the holes in said support member, said base plate having a block adapted to fit within the lowermost of an inverted stack of dishes, laterally spaced uprights vertically reciprocable in said holes in said base plate and said support and acting to laterally hold said base plate on said support, connecting means, for said uprights disposed in downwardly spaced relation to their upper ends, said uprights having portions at their upper ends supportedly engaging the upper of a stack of dishes arranged within the holder while permitting upward withdrawal thereof from between the uprights, said uprights being laterally spaced to permit the passage of a stack of dishes between them.

4. A dispenser for stacked paper dishes having yieldable walls including a support member having a plurality of spaced holes therethrough, a holder comprising a base plate adapted to be positioned on said support member and having a plurality of holes therethrough aligned with the holes in said support member, laterally spaced uprights vertically reciprocable in said holes in said base plate and said support and acting to laterally hold said base plate on said support, said uprights having portions at their upper ends supportedly engaging the upper of a stack of dishes arranged within the holder while permitting upward withdrawal thereof from between the uprights.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

